A key recommendation from this inquiry is for the Australian Government develop a clear and operational definition of 'sovereign capability' as part of the broader Future Made in Australia agenda that can be used to inform future government procurement decisions.

This report is comprised of three chapters:

• The introductory chapter provides an overview of the inquiry, as well as an outline of the structure of the report.
• Chapter 2 summarises the current policy settings for tech procurement, provides an overview of the Australian tech sector and unpacks the definitional challenges that arise when considering sovereign capability in the global tech market.
• Chapter 3 sets out the key issues and options that submitters put to the committee for reform. It then sets out the committee's views and recommendations on possible measures to best support the continued development of sovereign capability in the Australian tech sector.

Other key recommendations

• The Australian Government should addresses conflicts of interest in procurement by mandating that all suppliers disclose their commercial relationships with any other suppliers that are working on the same project to which the procurement is related, be it above the line or below the line.
• The Australian Government should improve the integration of grant programs with procurement processes, giving sovereign Australian small and medium enterprises that have developed products through Australian Government grants the opportunity to supply those products to the Australian Government.